The present invention relates to wedge type golf clubs and, in particular, to a wedge club having three distinctive ground engaging surfaces.
The rules of golf require that no more than fourteen golf clubs be used in the playing of a round of golf. This requires a golfer to select particular golf clubs in order to execute the shots anticipated during the playing of a particular round. Normally a golfer will use a putter and at least two wood or metalwood type golf clubs for longer tee and fairway shots. This leaves ten or eleven iron type golf clubs which are then used to complete the fourteen club set. Currently there are a number of wedge type golf clubs available with various lofts ranging from a 52.degree. angle up to and including as high as a 65.degree. angle. Most manufacturers provide a range of four to five wedge type golf clubs, each having different loft and club head configurations to satisfy an individual golfer. Assuming a golfer uses a standard selection of irons, that is, for example, a three iron through a nine iron, a golfer may be limited to two and, at the most, three wedges in keeping withing the fourteen club limit. For golfers who prefer to use multiple wedges, often this results in a golfer not being able to use one or more of his wedge type golf clubs.
Normally the sole or bottom surface of a golf club is designed to lie flat on the ground surface to position the club face at a predetermined face loft angle. A golfer may manipulate the club face of a particular lofted club to alter the loft face angle, however this results in the sole of the club head being angled, that is not flat, with respect to the ground surface. To enable a golf club to be used for a number of different loft angles, golf clubs with multiple uses have been developed having a plurality of ground engaging surfaces, each with different angular configurations whereby a single golf club may functionally take the place of two or more golf clubs with different lofts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,147 to Winter shows a wood type golf club head having a plurality of sole surfaces each having a different angle in order to adjust the loft angle of the golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,296 to Gilbert shows a golf club having a three surface sole; a positive bounce sole, a trailing sole surface and a crescent surface between the two having a substantially straight front border and a crescent shaped curved rear border.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,281 to Gilbert shows a golf club sole configuration including three surfaces; an entrance surface, a bounce surface and a trailing surface. The sole also includes a first and second cavity located between the bounce surface and the toe and between the bounce surface and the heel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,106 to Baird shows a golf club head with a sole having a double convex profile which defines separate convex bounce surfaces and a recessed channel disposed between the bounce surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,944 to Koehler shows a golf club head having a dual sole configuration wherein the leading edge has a positive bounce angle and the trailing edge also has a positive bounce angle which is less than the angle of the leading edge.
The present invention is directed to a high lofted, wedge type iron golf club head having an improved, multi-level sole configuration. The multi-level configuration includes three separate angular sole surfaces whereby the club may be placed flat on a ground supporting surface at one of three different loft angle positions such that a first sole surface corresponds to a lower lofted golf club, a second sole surface corresponds to an intermediate lofted golf club and a third sole surface corresponds to a higher lofted golf club. The first surface extends from the leading edge of the club head to approximately the midpoint on the sole in a front to rear direction. The second surface extends from the midpoint to the rear edge. The third surface is formed offset from the first two surfaces in a direction toward and adjacent to the heel. Each surface is formed at a different angle, thereby allowing the golf club to be placed on a support surface and used with a different loft angle permitting a golfer to hit a variety of shots with a single golf club.
Whereas, the angles of the three distinct ground engaging surfaces may take a wide variety of angular ranges, preferably the different levels correspond to the angular lofts normally found on wedge type golf clubs, including but not limited to pitching wedges, sand wedges and lob wedges. For example, the first surface may create a loft angle relative to the ball striking face corresponding to a normal loft angle of a pitching wedge. The second surface may create a loft angle relative to the ball striking face corresponding to a sand wedge. The third surface may create a loft angle relative to the ball striking face corresponding to a lob wedge.
Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of an iron type golf club head which may be used in a variety of loft configurations.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a iron type golf club head which may be used as a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a lob wedge.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.